Racing: Melbourne sojourn on the cards

Melbourne, here we come.

That was the call from a jubilant Brian Smith when the former globetrotting trainer welcomed his cast-off stayer Hume back to scale after he won the Tattersall's Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Smith could not hide his emotions after Hume bounced up off the canvas after his defeat in the Brisbane Cup two weeks ago for a brilliant win in the group three feature.

The former Cambridge trainer who took Balmerino from New Zealand Derby winner to be runner-up in the Arc de Triomphe in France in 1977 wasn't reaching for his passport but he did book a ticket to Victoria.

"I'm not saying he's an Arc horse but he will be in Melbourne in the spring," Smith said.

"He'll be nominated for all the top races and we'll take it one step at a time."

Smith's regular rider Scott Galloway produced a masterly display on Hume ($18) when he held Larry Cassidy on runner-up Bellagio Wynn ($8) in a pocket rounding the corner and outsprinted that horse to score by a length.

Matamata mare Veloce Bella ($21) found the line gamely to finish three-quarters of a length back in third with Fast Future ($13) fourth.

Victorian visitor Bangerang Quikpic ($7.50) opened up a huge lead mid-race but wilted badly after leading by 10 lengths at the halfway mark, while favourite Rainbow Styling ($4) carted the field up and hit the front briefly before fading to finish fifth.

A $400,000 yearling, Hume was formerly raced by leviathan Victorian owner Lloyd Williams until a syndicate of Queensland owners including Brisbane publican Chris Condon bought the Zabeel gelding for A$22,000 this year.

Smith declared the 5-year-old a potential big-race winner after he strung together three consecutive wins earlier this preparation.

But the bubble burst when he was beaten at his past four runs, including his last-start ninth to Scenic Shot in the Brisbane Cup.

However, Smith had the last laugh on Saturday.

"My job was to have him 100 per cent and he was 100 per cent today," Smith said.

"He was getting beaten on wet tracks and the track was a bog on Brisbane Cup day. You can keep horses going for 12 months if you know the horse and how he is."

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Bart Cummings did it again when he chalked up the 253rd Group One of his illustrious career when new stable acquisition Russeting won the following race, the Winter Stakes.

Russeting, who was having her first start for Cummings, also gave winning jockey Michael Cahill the fifth group one of his career when the 4-year-old downed Prime Nova, who is trained by Cummings' son Anthony, by three-quarters of a length in the 1400m race.

Fellow Sydney mare Subtle Cove was a length away third.

Russeting did most of her racing with Toowoomba trainer Don Baker before she fetched A$300,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at the Gold Coast earlier this month.

Russeting, a daughter of Commands, gave her new owner Bell View Park Stud syndicate a quick return on their outlay when she collected the first prize of A$320,000.

Cummings was at Randwick and missed Russeting's victory but said he would discuss the mare's future with her new owners before deciding when she'll go to stud.

"She's a lovely mare but she may go to stud and be served before going to Melbourne to run in some of the fillies' and mares' races," Cummings said.

He was glad Russeting broke through for the stable's first winner in Brisbane this winter.

"If she hadn't won, it would have been the first time in 50 years that I hadn't trained a winner during the Brisbane carnival," he said.

- AAP